For 10 days now I have been depriving myself of all foods that taste good.  Ok…that is a bit of an exaggeration.  I am trying to shed the weight I gained in the last two months while traveling to developing countries.  How does one gain weight when you are traveling to developing countries?  SERIOUSLY, I WOULD LIKE AN ANSWER HERE!

So after 10 days of depriving my body of chips and salsa and everything else that tastes amazing, I stepped on the scale to discover that I had dropped 2 lousy pounds.  Only 2 pounds??  Come on!

It’s discouraging to work so hard and get such little results.  I want results NOW!

This got me thinking.  Do I need to take drastic measures?  How do I lose 10 pounds right now? Liposuction, tummy tuck?  I could remove a limb. Ok…I am kidding, but my scale made me wrestle with this question.  Am I willing to work hard for it? 

We are the NOW generation.  Thank you Black Eyed Peas for pointing this out.   It’s hard for us to labor and be patient.  WE want those pounds off instantly.

We are use to wanting things and getting what we want, when we want it.  It’s easier to borrow money for car then save for a car. It’s easy to buy now and pay later, and we do all this with a small device called. …drum roll  please….. a credit card!

I think one of the major lessons I have learned from traveling and being with those who have been released from poverty, is patience.  Those who climb out of poverty, work long and hard to rise above their circumstances.  They take nothing for granted.  They walk the extra miles, they go to school, they pursue excellence and righteousness, they wait patiently, they pray, they plan, they agonize with time, they get counsel and they suffer “NOW” for the sake of the good to come later.  Temptations come their way to settle with the norm and to give up and give in.  However, those that climb out of poverty don’t settle.  They answer the question with a yes.  “Yes, I am willing to work hard for it.”

Some of the most outstanding people I have met in life have come out of incredibly challenging circumstances, and have chosen to live the most excellent lives. Their secret?  They live victoriously. They live in faith and they don’t expect things NOW.  They are patient and disciplined.

I admit it.  It’s tempting for me to walk into my pantry right now and open a bag of tortilla chips with a bowl of salsa, and consume it, despite the 50 million calories the bag contains. Yum!  However, if I really truly want to drop the weight that has invaded my hips, then I will need to work hard, deprive myself of a bag of chips, and persevere through boneless chicken breasts and broccoli.

Luckily I don’t have any chips in the pantry.

It’s an interesting time in our country with all the debt as many are trying to recover from lost income, lost jobs, and foreclosed homes.  It’s hard raising children in a culture that wants instant results.  We constantly battle with our children to wait patiently.

So my question is this. Is it good to be a NOW generation?

Now is good time to make good choices.  Now is a good time to start healthy habits, go back to school, get that degree, save money, climb out of debt, go to church, work on your marriage.  But the road isn’t always easy when you say “NOW” to the good stuff and say “NO” to the bad stuff.

To live victoriously means we must be patient, persevere, be disciplined and recognize that when we are weak, HE is our Strength. We must choose to run the race and finish well, even when it would be easier to catch a ride.

It’s easy to live in the temporary and consume in the NOW, but Christ calls us to live victoriously.

No chips for me today.

What is your battle?